Heavy Events - Melbourne Highland Games & Celtic Festival

Scottish heavy athletics owe their roots to the Highland warriors who would keep in shape between battles by competing amongst themselves with everyday implements. A stone, a blacksmith’s hammer, a tree trunk (caber) became tools for building strength for battle.

Our competition includes:

Caber Toss

The caber is not thrown for distance but for style. The caber is stood with the thickest part in the air and the athlete then lifts it against their shoulder, gives it a quick flip and tries to upend the caber so it is thrown to land at 180 degrees in front of the athlete.

Hammer Throw

The Scottish Hammer features a hammer made from a metal ball weighing around 10kg for men or 7kg for women, attached to a wooden pole or handle. The thrower stands with their back to the mark, swings the hammer round their head to gain momentum and releases it over the shoulder at maximum speed. They are not permitted to spin and must anchor their feet.

Stone Put

This event resembles the modern day shot-put but uses a stone instead. There are several different throwing styles that can be used including the glide or spin. The throw is recorded by measuring the distance from the back of the toe board to the mark the stone makes when it hits the ground.

Weight for Height

This event is also known as ‘weight over the bar’ where the athlete tosses a 24.5kg weight over a cross bar with one hand only from a standing position. The athlete is allowed three tries at each height. The bar is raised until only one athlete remains.

Weight Throw

This is also known as the ‘weight for distance’ event. There are two separate events, one using a light and the other a heavy weight. The weights are made of metal and have a handle attached either directly or by means of a chain. The thrower grasps the weight in one hand, spins around three times and throws it as far as possible. The longest throw wins.